Horcrux
by Bears Love Tourists
Summary: Repost of an old fic. In his search for the Horcruxes, Harry crosses paths with Ryou...and Yami Bakura.
1. Prologue

This is a fic that I had posted to other fanfiction sites back when I wrote it, but those sites no longer exist, and I love the story too much to not share it. I got the idea for this just after _HP and the Half-Blood Prince_ was released, so keep in mind that it is AU to the seventh book. There was barely even speculation kicking up about _Deathly Hallows_ when I wrote this story. Don't read it if you're only going to complain about the lack of canon-awareness. Do read it if you want a fun ride, and be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think. :)

Prologue

He had always known that it wouldn't be enough.

He didn't have what it took to defeat the Pharaoh; deep down inside, he knew that. He just didn't want to admit it to himself. But this fight against the royal wizard, the Pharaoh's _lackey_...it took too much out of him. If he hadn't known about the traps in the tomb, he would already be dead. As it was, he was barely holding out, even with Diabound's help.

Then the wizard did something very foolish, something that went against the bounds of reason. He stepped into the path of the blade that swung from the ceiling nearest him.

Even as the sharp metal pierced through his chest, even as the Sennen Ring, that item he coveted so much, flew away, right into his grasp, the king of thieves knew that this fight was only going to get harder. But he had what he came for. Now he had to make sure he survived to fight the Pharaoh.

He knew of a way to do that, fortunately. Even if the wizard priest defeated him here, he would live. The wizard wasn't the only one who knew the secrets of magic, after all. He, the tomb robber, the king of all thieves, knew of one very useful secret.

The priest's murder had left his soul torn in two. Before that rip could heal, before his soul could be restored, he poured part of it into the Ring that he now held. All his anger, all his hatred, all his determination to defeat the accursed Pharaoh…revenge would be his; there was no stopping it now!

But he overestimated himself. Consumed with his fury and lust for vengeance, he poured too much of himself into the item. He poured the greater part of his soul into the item. And thus he bound himself to it forever. If ever he removed the Ring from his neck, he would no longer have control of his body; it would become an immobile, comatose thing that would eventually wither and die. His own consciousness would become trapped in the Ring, perhaps for eternity.

In the five seconds it took him to do and realize all this, the royal wizard came back, taking the form of his spirit monster. The tomb robber was mildly surprised, but he put on a face of greater shock for the wizard's benefit.

After all, it didn't matter if the wizard killed him. He'd still be alive.

* * *

In the end, the royal wizard wasn't the one to kill him. It was Zork Necrophidius. After convincing the priest Akunadin to summon the monster, it killed him.

But he didn't die. As he had known, his soul, his consciousness, remained in the Ring. Trapped, but alive. The lesser part of his soul, the part that had been within his body, fled the dying vessel, passing across miles and centuries in search of a new vessel.

The thief felt it go, and if he had lips to smile with, they would be stretched in a wide grin. He was still alive. His plan had worked. Now all he had to do was wait.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_Three thousand years later_

Pawn shops were useful places to find stuff, and there weren't many in Japan. So when Ryou Bakura passed one while taking a new short cut home from the library, he stopped long enough to step inside and see what it had to offer.

The young white-haired man lived by himself, and he was often short on money, so he couldn't resist the opportunity to pick up anything he might need at a low price. Others might have made fun of him if they saw him in such a place, but that didn't bother him. Practicality was better than popularity, he thought, and he didn't have many friends anyways.

But like most pawn shops, most of what it had to offer was junk, and more than half of that was broken. With a sigh, Ryou turned back to the door, but as he headed there, he passed a long jewelry case, and something tugged his head to the side. At the same time, he felt his Sennen Ring stir, two of the points rising under the cover of his shirt to point at the case.

Slowing down, he took a closer look at the jewelry within, and one piece in particular jumped out at him. He knew it was special, but not for any reasons that he could voice to anyone else he knew.

Ryou Bakura was a wizard, though he chose to live in the Muggle world, and the locket that had caught his attention was a magical item. Of course the shopkeeper would never believe him if he said that, and the Japanese Ministry of Magic would come down on his head if he tried to demonstrate his point. Not that he would in the first place; Ryou was a timid young man, more prone to jumping at his own shadow than displays of magical might.

"Excuse me," he called to the pawn broker. "How much for this?" He pointed at the pendant.

"For what?" the heavyset man grunted, ambling over.

"This locket," Ryou clarified. "The large one, with the golden S. And where did you get it from?"

The pawnbroker shrugged. "5000 yen, and someone traded it in," he answered vaguely.

Ryou hid a smile as he handed over the money. _Meaning someone from the black market shoved it on you,_ he figured. _I wonder if it's cursed…_ He really couldn't afford it, but his curiosity was piqued, and more than that, he could feel the interest of his darker self. Even if he didn't pay for it now, his other self would steal it later, and he didn't want that.

That dark spirit, who had long held Ryou Bakura enslaved in his own mind, had supposedly been beaten for good by another ancient spirit, a Pharaoh, just last year and forced to leave this world forever. But Ryou knew better than to think that, even as he had woken up to his friends' smiling faces, hearing them tell him that he didn't have to worry, that the tomb robber was gone for good this time.

The magic that tied his other half to this world was a magic darker than that of the Pharaoh, and deeper. Yugi could survive without the Pharaoh, but Ryou would die without the tomb robber. He didn't know how he knew this; he was only certain that his darker self would return. And he was right; barely a month had passed when he began feeling that stir in the back of his mind, when his blackouts began again.

Yami no Bakura had returned, but Ryou wasn't so sure that was a bad thing. Maybe his darker half mistreated him, but he somehow felt safer, more complete, when he was around. So he told the darker half all that had happened, that after his defeat, the Pharaoh had gone on to fight his own host, Yugi Mutou. Yugi had defeated him, and the Pharaoh had departed from the living world for good. There was no response, but Ryou knew his darker half had heard him.

Now, almost a year later, he walked home through a chilly, cloud-covered October day, trying his best to pry open his new possession to no avail. The locket wouldn't open, no matter what he tried, and he couldn't use magic. With a sigh, he shoved in his pocket. He could worry about it later. For now, he had to focus on getting home before the rain caught up to him.

* * *

_Night had fallen on the town, and only the dim glow of the streetlamps and the brief flashes of lightning lit the rain-beaten road. Thunder crashed as a fork of lightning came down, and with it came a quite unrelated __**crack**__ as someone appeared out of thin air in front of the pawn shop. The teenage boy, dressed in jeans and a dark hooded jacket, looked normal, but anyone who would have seen him appear in the middle of the road would know he wasn't._

_He was a wizard, given a mission and trying his best to carry it out. Squinting at the closed pawn shop through rain-fogged glasses, he pulled his hood lower, as much to hide his face as to keep the rain away. It wouldn't do for the Muggle law enforcement to catch him. He had too much to do._

"_Alohomora," he whispered, pointing a thin wooden wand at the pawn shop door. The door swung open as easily as if it had been pushed open, though it had been locked tight just a second earlier. The boy hissed in relief as no burglar alarm sounded and stepped through the door._

_He had to find that locket. All his hopes rested on it._

* * *

The next day was also a rainy one, the kind that was meant to be spent indoors. It was also a Monday, which meant Ryou had no choice but to spend it indoors. Yet as he sat in class, staring out the window as the teacher droned on about the cell structure of plants, he wished he was at home. The mystery of the pendant called to him, and he wanted to find out what was magical about it. He sensed it was a powerful magic, and he was beginning to worry more about it being cursed. His mother had been an accomplished witch, but she had died several years ago. Surely she would have known how to open the locket and find out its secrets. Suddenly, Ryou began to miss her more than ever.

The bell rang, and Ryou jumped, having completely lost track of time. "Class dismissed," the teacher said, and the students around him began to gather their books and filter out. Ryou sighed as he copied their movements. Three more classes, and then he could go home.

"Hey, Bakura-kun!" called a cheerful voice as he stepped into the hall. He turned to find Yugi dodging people until he reached him, a big smile on his face. "Ready for that quiz Yamashita-sensei is giving this period?"

Outwardly, Ryou smiled and nodded, but he felt like slapping himself. He had forgotten all about that quiz in his sudden obsession with the locket. But he couldn't tell Yugi that; the younger boy wasn't a true wizard, and he had no idea how common magic truly was.

Yugi kept babbling as they headed to the next class, but Ryou didn't pay attention to him. Underneath his school uniform, the Ring was stirring again, one of the pointers trying to rise up. He pushed it down gently, trying to look inconspicuous, and quickened his pace. There was someone else in the area. Another wizard.

"Hey, where are you going?" Yugi called as the white-haired boy trotted right past their classroom.

"Sorry," he called over his shoulder. "There's something I have to do."

It wasn't much of an excuse, but the tomb robber didn't care. As soon as the thought of another wizard had crossed Ryou's mind, the ancient spirit had taken over. He didn't care if his other self was written up for skipping school; he didn't care much for modern life in the first place. This was far more important, and Ryou would only screw it up if he were in control.

Without a thought to the rain, he ripped the front of the uniform open, freeing the Ring so that it was free to point in the direction of the wizard. One golden point lifted up and to the left, glowing faintly as it did, and the tomb robber smirked as he started in that direction at a trot. Yugi and the others believed that all the magic had gone out of the Sennen Items, and maybe that was true for the other six. But the Ring was special. As long he had it, as long as his soul was stored in it, it would hold on to its magic.

The Ring led him into an alley, and then across a street and through a deserted lot. Keeping his gaze more on its points than on the road ahead, he ran along, passing through an unfamiliar section of Domino City and then entering more familiar areas, even passing by the library. As he did, another pointer lifted to join the first, and the tomb robber arched an eyebrow. So…there were _two_ strange wizards in town today.

He hadn't gone but ten paces when a third pointer rose, and he slowed to a cautious walk. He was close now, and there were three potentially dangerous people close by. Getting into a fight was not what he wanted at the moment, though he was confident he could defeat them.

A shout from ahead reached his ears, and he stepped back into the shadows of a nearby alley, peering through the rain as a hooded form ran towards him. The figure turned almost at a right angle and darted into the same alley, seeming to take no notice of the tomb robber. One of the Ring's pointers followed him around, still pointing at him as he hastily hid behind a dumpster. Two other figures ran past a few seconds later, both wearing cloaks as well as hoods, and the other two pointers followed them as they left, disappearing through the curtain of rain without a second's hesitation at the alley.

"_Bakamono_," he snorted. "_Kurooku ni kite iru…_"

The boy behind the dumpster jumped, apparently noticing him for the first time. "I-I'm sorry, sir," he said, coming out from hiding place. "I don't understand you."

The tomb robber lifted an eyebrow at him, puzzled by the British accent. "I called them fools," he explained in English. "For wearing cloaks. It's not normal clothing for non-wizards."

The boy's eyes widened as he studied the tomb robber. "You're a wizard?" he gasped.

"No, I'm Santa Claus."

The boy scowled at the retort but otherwise ignored it. "Then maybe you can help me. My name's Harry Potter, and I'm looking for an item. A locket, more specifically."

The tomb robber studied him intently. He recognized the name; any wizard would. Most admired him for stopping an evil wizard, but the tomb robber was more interest in a different facet of that tale. "You're the boy who survived an _Avada Kedavra_?"

Harry's face hardened a little more, but he nodded once.

"How?"

"I don't know! Look, if you can't help me, I have to go. Those Death Eaters will be back soon, and I have to find that locket before they do." He turned away to start down the alley.

"What's so special about this locket?" the tomb robber asked.

Harry paused and turned back with a hopeful look. "You'll help me?"

"I didn't say that. I asked what was so special about the locket."

The boy paused, an inner conflict visible in his eyes. But his need to find the locket overrode any voice of caution, and he explained, "It used to belong to a very powerful wizard named Salazar Slytherin. It was passed down through his family, and his last remaining descendant turned it into a Horcrux." He hesitated there. "Do you…do you know what a Horcrux is?"

The tomb robber smirked, running a thumb along the curve of his Ring. "Yes, I know what a Horcrux is. So you want to kill this descendant of Slytherin, ne?"

The boy stiffened. "I don't _want_ to," he snapped. "But…but I have to. Voldemort had done so much already…he has to be stopped."

"Voldemort?" A note of glee entered the tomb robber's voice, but Harry didn't notice as he continued.

"This locket is only a piece of the puzzle. Voldemort created six Horcruxes so that his soul would be in seven parts, the wizard's lucky number. Two have already been destroyed, and I spent all summer and half of autumn tracking down this locket. I have three more to find after this, and time is running out. Please, help me!"

The tomb robber chuckled, a low, evil sound that made the boy step back in apprehension. "Imagine that," he said. "I hold the soul of the supposed most powerful wizard on Earth." He grinned at Harry. "You think I'd give that up, boy? You're asking the wrong person for help!"

Still chuckling, he turned and left the alley, leaving behind a frustrated and half-frightened young man. The rain poured down even harder as he walked along the street, directing his footsteps towards home. He wouldn't be able to find the school again from here, and it would probably already be over by the time he reached it anyways.

The two cloaked figures from before appeared through the rain in front of him, coming his direction. "You!" one said in a rough, low-pitched woman's voice as she stopped in front of him, blocking his path. "Have you seen a boy pass through here?"

"Can't say I have," the tomb robber replied nonchalantly, stepping to the side to pass her.

She grabbed the collar of his shirt and shoved him back, pointing her wand at him as she did. "Don't play with me, boy," she snarled. "There's no one else out today in this godforsaken town. You must have seen him!"

"_You_ don't play with _me_," he snapped, now thoroughly irritated. "Don't think I'll be intimidated by a stick; I'm not going to tell you anything. You annoy me too much."

The woman's face paled in fury under its cowl, and she raised the wand a little higher. "Cru—"

Before she could finish, the tomb robber activated the magic of the Ring. With just a thought, he grabbed their minds and shoved them back. Both cloaked figures collapsed into unconsciousness, and the tomb robber continued on his way without another thought to them.

He had to get home and get dry before his landlord got sick.


	3. Chapter 2

A great big thank you to all my reviewers. It's nice to know that even old stories can get a little appreciation. :) Since I forgot the disclaimer in the prologue, I'll add it now: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or Harry Potter. I just like the stories. Please review; conclusion comes tomorrow.

Chapter 2

Ryou Bakura blinked and looked around. He was standing in his apartment living room, though he had no idea how he had gotten there. The last thing he remembered was walking down the hall at school, talking to Yugi. And then his Sennen Ring had reacted to something…

He groaned quietly. _Mou hitori no boku,_ he chastised. _I'm going to be punished for skipping school._

To his surprise, he got an answer. _I don't care,_ the tomb robber replied. _Where did you put the locket?_

Ryou automatically walked over to a desk and pulled open a drawer, revealing the pendant. As he picked it up, he heard a cackle in the back of his mind. _Mou hitori no boku? What's going on?_ He held the pendant up, watching it revolve slowly, the meager light from outside glistening off the silver. _Do you know what this is? Is it cursed?_

_Cursed? No. It is a Horcrux._

_Horcrux? What's that?_

He got no answer, for apparently the tomb robber had decided that he had done enough talking. Ryou frowned and sent a mental prod to his darker self. The tomb robber expressed his displeasure at being bothered by shoving back so hard that Ryou physically stumbled into the wall. "Fine," the boy murmured aloud, placing the pendant back in the desk drawer and sliding it shut.

If his darker half wanted to ignore him, Ryou didn't care. It would be status quo, and Ryou could find out what a Horcrux was from other sources. Turning on a light, he crossed the room to a bookshelf and pulled down one of his books, an old, thick book about various magic items his mother had given him a long time ago. As the rain continued steadily and thunder grumbled at the city, he curled up in an armchair and began to read.

* * *

He stayed up all night reading, though he had no success, and slept in way past his alarm the next morning. "Oh, no!" he moaned when at last he woke up, only to find his clock reading nine thirty-five. "I'm so late! And I'm already in trouble for skipping yesterday!"

He rushed around, gulping down a stale biscuit and a glass of milk, sparing five seconds to brush his teeth, throwing on his clothes and grabbing his briefcase on the way to the door.

_Yadonushi!_

He skidded to a stop, almost afraid to breathe.

_Take the locket with you._

Ryou's face screwed up in confusion. "Why?" he asked aloud as he moved over to the desk and pulled the drawer open. No answer came, and he hesitated. The thought of being forced to skip another day when his darker half took over his body was not a good one, though, and he picked up the locket, stuffing it in his pocket as he continued out the door.

The rain clouds had disappeared, and the sun shone brilliantly on the still wet city and Ryou trotted down the street, pushing his way through the partially crowded streets. Maybe he could make it for second period, if he hurried.

A boy darted in front of him, and before he could react they collided, both falling to the ground. "_Ite_," Ryou groaned, rubbing the new sore spot on his forehead. Beside him, the boy stood up and turned to offer a hand.

"Sorry about that…" he started, but he trailed off, his eyes widened as he took in Ryou's face. "_You_!" he cried, face hardening into anger.

Ryou blinked at him in confusion as he picked himself up. "Do I know you?" he questioned.

The boy's angry expression faltered, and he scrutinized the older boy's face for a few seconds. "No," he said at last. "I'm sorry; I mistook you for someone else. He must have been your twin, though."

Ryou blinked again and sent a probing question inward. _Mou hitori no boku, did you meet this boy yesterday? What were you up to?_

But as usual all he got in return was silence, and he returned his attention to the boy. "He didn't steal anything from you, did he?"

The boy's eyes widened again, and he hastily checked through the pockets of his jeans. "No," he said when he was finished. "At least, I seem to have everything."

"That's a relief," Ryou said. He looked over the teenager, taking in his oversized jeans and jacket, his green eyes behind glasses, his scruffy black hair…the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. "I know you," he said quietly. "You're Harry Potter. What brings you to Japan?"

Harry flushed and tried to flatten his bangs to hide the scar. It didn't work well, but Ryou got the hint and stopped staring at it. "I'm looking for something—" he began, but a shout from down the street interrupted him.

"_There he is! Rodolphus, he's this way! And that white-haired brat is with him!_"

"Come on," Harry hissed, grabbing his arm and pulling him down a side street.

Ryou allowed himself to be dragged for a full five seconds before his brain kicked into gear. _Wait a second. These are people that are looking for Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived. And since he's running, I doubt they're good people. I know this town better than any of them. Great, there goes another day of school._ "This way," he said, skidding to a stop and changing direction.

"Hey!" Harry complained as he was suddenly jerked down an alley. Ryou ignored him and continued, bursting out the other end and crossing the busy street. Taking a breath to utter a quick thanks to God for keeping those cars stopped at a red light, he barged into a small restaurant where he had once applied for a part-time job. The owner had liked him, but the school wouldn't allow him to be employed at the time. Still, they had remained friends.

"Bakura-san!" the man cried as Ryou wove through the empty tables, still dragging Harry. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Sorry, Tanaka-san," he called over his shoulder as he tugged Harry through the doors to the kitchen. "I'm in a bit of a rush, but I'll explain later." And he kept going, ignoring the startled cries of the chefs and pushing out the rear exit. Jogging to the end of the alley, he peered around the corner to make sure the coast was clear. He saw no one but townspeople going about their business, so he motioned for Harry to follow and started down the street at a more leisurely pace.

He wound a constantly shifting path on the way back to his apartment, but the people who had chased them earlier didn't show up again; apparently they had shaken them off their trail. As he unlocked his door and stepped in, he heaved a sigh, wondering exactly what his darker half had stuck his nose in this time.

"Thank you for helping me," Harry said, taking Ryou's lead and slipping out of his shoes. "I might not have gotten away from them that time."

"Don't mention it. Who are those people?" Ryou hurried to the kitchen as he asked and began puttering around, fixing tea and pulling a tray of cream puffs out of the refrigerator.

"Death Eaters," Harry replied, sitting on the edge of the couch and looking towards the hall nervously. "Voldemort must have sent them to trail me."

Ryou nearly dropped the tray of cream puffs at the mention of the Dark Wizard's name. "H-he's still alive?" he asked, setting the tray on the table and walking over to stand in the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

Harry nodded solemnly. "You haven't heard?"

"I don't get much news from the wizarding community these days," the white-haired boy replied. "Ever since my mother died, my father has tried to cut me off from it. Says he wants me to know _his_ world." Ryou smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry," Harry replied automatically in a voice that suggested Ryou was going through something awful.

"He only wants what he thinks is best for me." Ryou blinked, suddenly realizing that he hadn't introduced himself. "Gomen!" he said with a bow. "My name is Bakura Ryou. Ah, that's Ryou Bakura in Western culture. A pleasure to meet you." The teapot began to whistle, and he hurried back into the kitchen before Harry could respond. "But please, tell me how…how Voldemort still lives."

"He made Horcruxes," the teenager answered in a disgusted tone. "Six of them."

Ryou's heart quickened, and he cast a glance back towards the living room as he worked. "I'm afraid I don't know what a Horcrux is, Potter-san."

"Uh, just call me Harry," Harry said with an embarrassed laugh as Ryou reappeared in the doorway. "And a Horcrux…it's the vilest thing known to wizardry. It's an item, any item, that a wizard has sealed his soul into, making him immortal."

"I didn't know immortality was something within human reach," Ryou commented as he continued his work in the kitchen. "And I suppose there's a heavy price to pay for it?"

"You have to split your soul to do it," Harry answered. "And you have to murder someone to do that."

Ryou winced as he came back in, carrying a tray with a teapot, two cups, some sugar and milk, and a plate with cream puffs arranged on it. "That _is_ nasty."

"Yes, but it's not beyond Voldemort," the scarred boy said grimly. "In fact, he was so eager for immortality that he split his soul into seven parts. He had six Horcruxes."

"Seven…the wizard's lucky number," Ryou said thoughtfully. "So now you're looking for them?"

Harry nodded. "If I want to defeat him…_really_ kill him…I have to destroy the Horcruxes first. Two are already gone, and the locket is next on the list."

"Locket?" Ryou's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Oh, you mean this?" He pulled it out of his pocket and held it in front of him.

Silence stretched between them as they both stared at the silver pendant, and only after a full minute did Harry reply, "Yes. That's it."

He reached for it, but Ryou's hand pulled back of its own accord. _Mou hitori no boku!_ he hissed, but the spirit took no heed of his anger. Instead, the tomb robber took full control, pushing Ryou's consciousness back into the darkness of sleep.

"You didn't think you could sweet-talk me out of this so easily, did you?" he sneered at Harry as he stood up. The boy gave him a confused look, but the tomb robber ignored it as he looked over the scene before him. "How nice," he continued. "My landlord can be so sweet to total strangers. He even took the time to make tea for you."

"But…but _you_ did that," Harry said, also standing.

The tomb robber snorted. "Wrong half," he said. "You see, I don't mean _landlord_ as in the man who owns the apartment. I mean it as in the boy who owns this _body_." He gave Harry a crooked, less-than-sane grin. "Ryou has no twin, bakamono. He only has me. And I suggest you get out before I decide to hurt you. I'm already displeased at you for telling him all about Horcruxes."

Harry took a few steps back. "Hey, wait!" he said, trying not to be intimidated. He had run across far stranger things than a boy with multiple personalities, and what he needed was within sight, within _grasp_. "I need that locket!"

"Of course you do," the tomb robber replied airily. "But so do the Death Eaters chasing you. The question is, what's in it for me? Unless you can offer something I'd consider taking, I'm keeping this little locket." He began swinging the chain, sending the pendant whirling in circles through the air. "I rather enjoy holding his life in my hands."

"It doesn't matter that much," Harry said coldly, going to the door and sitting down long enough to pull his shoes on. "There are three other Horcruxes out there, and I'm not looking for them until I destroy the one you're holding. So that life you're holding? You're not really holding it at all."

"Out!" the tomb robber snapped, and Harry scooted out the door, more than happy to leave.

He needed time to think about this new development.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Ryou was indeed in big trouble for missing a day and a half of school, though all his teachers were willing to go easy on him since he was usually such a good student. Still, he ended up with detention for the next two weeks, starting that day. The sun was setting by the time he got out of school, and it was with a feeling of annoyance that he started home. _Two weeks of scrubbing dishes in the cafeteria,_ he complained to himself. _Mou hitori no boku, this had better not happen again._

The tomb robber wasn't listening as usual, and Ryou sighed. "I need to stop thinking to empty air," he murmured, and immediately he began to worry for his sanity.

"You need to watch where you're going, little boy," said a voice from the deepening shadows in front of him. "You just might run into someone you don't want to see."

Ryou froze, his eyes flicking to all around in search of the speaker. A low chuckle sounded in front of him, and the Death Eater woman stepped away from the tree in front of him, pointing her wand at him. "You have something we want, little boy," she said with a sick grin. "And you won't be escaping us this time."

Ryou sensed a presence move up behind him, a presence he guessed was the other Death Eater, and he tensed, ready for anything.

"_Imperio_," the woman cried, and he jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the red beam of light. Years of living with bullies and an ancient Egyptian spirit had taught him how to evade, and he did it well. Even as the Death Eater behind him began firing off a spell, he was moving back to the left, running at the woman and zigzagging randomly to avoid more Imperius curses. When he was three feet from her, he suddenly turned sharply and jumped, grabbing the top of the fence surrounding a bordering park and swinging himself over it.

_Mou hitori no boku,_ he pleaded. _I could really use your help about now._

The spirit seemed more interested in watching him dodge curses and scramble into the safety of the trees' shadows, and he snorted. "Thanks a lot," he muttered aloud, only to sigh in exasperation when the tomb robber replied, _You're quite welcome_.

Ryou slowed to a walk, trying to catch his breath while creeping through the trees noiselessly. Behind him, he could hear the Death Eaters scaling the fence, and he paused long enough to leap into the closest tree, quickly climbing its branches until he was sure the leaves concealed him adequately. There he crouched and waited as the noisy pair as they made their way through the park, lighting the tips of their wands and searching around every tree.

_Bakamono,_ the tomb robber commented as the woman passed right under them without looking up. _Anyone could see them from a mile away._

_They think force is the answer to everything,_ Ryou replied, a small smile playing across his lips. _Like a certain someone I know._

The spirit didn't bother to put in any more thoughts, and as the lights of the two searchers moved away through the trees, Ryou slipped out of his and snuck back the way he had come. But he had moved too soon; even as he was climbing the fence, the woman's voice called out again. "_There he is! Rodolphus, this way!_"

"Who the heck would name their child 'Rodolphus,' anyways," Ryou grumbled in irritation as he heaved himself over the fence and picked up his fallen briefcase. The red light of a spell hit the sidewalk in front of him, and he jumped into a run, hoping to escape through his knowledge of the town like he had done the day before.

But the Death Eaters had gotten smarter, and before he could take five steps something caught around his legs and brought him down hard. "_Ite_!" he cried as his palms and face scraped painfully against the sidewalk. Looking down, he saw the thin golden light of some kind of spell cord tangled around his legs, one end of it trailing from the wand of the woman Death Eater.

"Now," she purred. "Maybe you'll be more cooperative."

Rodolphus moved up beside her, giving him an evil smile as he kicked futilely at the spell cord. He lifted his wand, but before he could utter a spell, a voice from behind Ryou cried, "_Expelliarmus_!" The wand flew from Rodolphus's hands, and the woman cast a look of fury at the source of the voice.

In that instant of distraction, Ryou reached into his pocket and pulled out the locket. _Yadonushi!_ his darker half snarled. _What the hell do you think you're doing?_

_Someone's bound to take the locket sooner or later,_ Ryou answered crossly. _And I'd rather it be taken by the good guys, if you don't mind._ "Harry!" he yelled, craning his head back to look at the younger man. "Catch!" Then he threw the locket.

"_Accio locket_!" Harry cried before the Death Eaters could do anything. But Ryou saw nothing beyond that; his darker half was furious, and he had it in mind to vent right then and there. As darkness swarmed over Ryou's vision, he could only pray that the tomb robber chose not to vent on Harry.

He needn't have worried. The ancient spirit had decided to turn his wrath on the Death Eaters. _They_ were the source of all this trouble in his mind; if they hadn't kept coming after him, he could have kept the locket instead of having Ryou throw it away! Ignoring the teenager completely, he called upon the power of the Sennen Ring, drawing the Shadow Realm into reality and surrounding himself and the Death Eaters with it.

The woman's spell disappeared, and both looked around apprehensively at the mottled shadows that surrounded them. "What…what have you done?" the woman snapped, turning her glare to the tomb robber.

"Merely turned the tables," he chuckled, thoroughly enjoying her growing fear. "Don't bother trying to work your spells here; this is _my_ realm, and it's fully under my control. Nothing you can try against me will work, and neither can you escape. Now," he spread his arms with a psychotic grin, and the great gray monster, his soul monster Diabound, shimmered into existence behind him. "Let me show you my hospitality."

* * *

Harry wasted no time as he caught the Horcrux. Even as a globe of darkness shrouded the street in front of him, he was pulling out a simple wand of silver, and with two taps of his regular wand he released the shape-changing spell on it. It grew, becoming longer, flatter, sharper, a sword with a glittering ruby set into top of the hilt. The teenager tossed Slytherin's locket on the ground and slammed Godric Gryffindor's sword home, splitting the pendant in two. A deafening _boom_ split the air, and Harry quickly dove out of the way as a fireball erupted from the severed locket. _Wow,_ he thought dazedly as he picked himself up and brushed off his clothes. _Yeah, I'd say that's destroyed._

He picked up Gryffindor's sword, pleased to find that it was undamaged but for a blackened spot, and recast the shape-changing spell. It shrank back into a silver wand, and Harry tucked it away as the shadows in front of him dissipated. "What did you do?" he questioned, staring at Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, both gibbering madly on the sidewalk.

The tomb robber shrugged and crossed his arms. "I guess they didn't like my hospitality." He surveyed the scene in front of him as he spoke, and his lip curled in disgust when he saw the destroyed locket. Tossing his hair, he whirled and began to stalk away.

"Wait," Harry called, and the tomb robber paused, glaring at the teenager over his shoulder.

"That Ring…it's a Horcrux, isn't it?" Harry continued, undaunted. "_Your_ Horcrux."

"So what if it is?" the tomb robber retorted. "You going to arrest me for murder? Sorry to inform you, but the police around here wouldn't give a damn about an Egyptian who died three thousand years ago."

The scarred boy stepped back, staggered by this new piece of information. _Three thousand years? This man's been alive for __**three thousand years**__?_ "I…I don't care about that," he said. "Finding Voldemort's Horcruxes is enough of a task for me. But I was just wondering about Ryou."

"My other half," the spirit said tonelessly. He turned fully to face Harry, giving the boy an unreadable look. "This _is_ a Horcrux," he said, fingering the Sennen Ring. "But it's flawed. I messed up when I made it. I put too much of my soul in it, and the rest fled when my body died. Ryou is the cast-off of who I used to be." He looked back up at Harry. "He's not to know. Ever. If he found out how he came to be it would kill him."

Harry nodded. "Your secret's safe with me," he said softly as the tomb robber walked into the night. He had bigger things to think of at the moment anyways. Three more Horcruxes waited on him.

The tomb robber heard the _crack_ as Harry Disapparated, and he relinquished control to Ryou. The boy whirled around as soon as he was aware of his surroundings. Not far away, the Death Eaters were lying on the sidewalk, clearly out of their senses, and Ryou sighed in relief. Harry was nowhere to be seen, but the white-haired boy had seen enough. He started towards the Death Eaters, but the tomb robber's voice stopped him.

_Let's go home, Yadonushi. It's been a long three days._

_Hai,_ Ryou replied, redirecting his steps towards his apartment. This little adventure was over now, thank goodness, and he did want to rest up for another round of detention the next day. As he walked, his thoughts wandered down the avenues of all he had learned while Harry Potter was in town, and he unconsciously rubbed the Sennen Ring. "I bet you would have made one," he said softly. "A Horcrux, I mean. If you didn't already have the Ring."

The spirit didn't answer for so long that Ryou gave up, believing he was being ignored again. Just as he did, however, the tomb robber spoke up.

_Perhaps I would. But it's not your concern._

Ryou allowed himself a ghost of a smile. "Of course it is. Where would I be if I didn't have you?"

_You'd be a normal, content teenager. Now leave me alone._

Ryou chuckled, but he didn't bother to push. It wasn't often that the tomb robber bothered to have a conversation with him, and he was happy enough with what he got. Now it was time to rest.

* * *

A very big thank you to everyone who reviewed. I very much enjoyed writing this little fic, and I'm glad to know y'all enjoyed reading it. Peace guys.


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